Washing-machine.



No. 640,975, Paented Ian. 9, |900.

J. W. THUMAS.

WASHING MACHINE. ,Application filed Mar, 1, 1899.)

No Model.)

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PATENT WASHING-MACHINE.

SPIEGIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 640,975, dated January9, 1906.

Application filed March l, 1899. Serial No. 707,268. (No model.) l

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, JACOB W. THOMAS, a citizen of the United States,residing at Mount Morris, in the county of Ogle and State of Illinois,have invented a new and useful Washing-Machine, of which the followingis a speciication.

The invention relates to improvements in washing-machines.

The object of the present invention is to improve the construction ofwashing-machines and to provide a simpleand comparatively inexpensiveone capable of uniformly operating on a quantity of clothes and ofthereby thoroughly washing the same.

The invention consists in the construction and novel combination andarrangement of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, and pointed out in the claims hereto appended.

In the drawings, Figure l is a perspective view of a washing-machineconstructed in accordance with this invention. Fig. 2 is a centralvertical sectional View of the same, taken longitudinally of theoperating-lever and one of the transverse bars of the plunger-head. Fig.3 is a detail perspective view of one of the tapering supports of thepounders.

Like numerals of reference designate correspondingparts in all the guresof the drawings.

l designates a vertically-movable plunger adapted to operate within atub 2 or other receptacle forming a washing-machine body, and the lowerend of the plunger carries a head composed of crossed bars 3, havingdepending poundersearranged at their ends and at the lower end of theplunger and adapted to operate on the clothes within the receptacle. Theplunger passes through a guideopening 5 of a horizontal bar 6 and issecured at its upper end within a sleeve or hub 7 of a horizontalratchetewheel 8, which is provided at its periphery withupwardly-extending teeth. The sleeve or hub 7, which` is arrangedvertically, extends above and below the ratchet-wheel, and it receivesin its upper portion a shank v9, which is secured to an operating-lever10. The upper end of the sleeve Or hub 7 is contracted at ll to form aninterior shoulder, and the shank 9 is provided at its lower end with ahead 12 to engage the `the upper face of the horizontal bar 6.

said shoulder 1l, and by this construction the ratchet-wheel is swiveledto the operating-lever to permit the plunger to be rotated for causingthe pounders to operate on dif*- ferent portions of the clothes withinthe washing-machine body or receptacle 2. The upper end of the plungeris secured to the depending portion of the sleeve or hub 7 by atransverse bolt, and the shank 9 is pivoted in a slot 13 of the lever l0by a transverse pivot 14, consisting of a bolt or other suitablefastening device.

The front portion of the operating-lever is' shaped into a handle, andits rear end is bi= furcated and is pivoted to the upper end of avertical su pporting-bar 15, which is pivoted at its lower end by a bolt16 or other suitable fastening device to the rear end of the horizontalbar 6. The operating-lever also carries a pivoted pawl or dog 17, whichengages the ratchet-teeth of the ratchet-wheel, whereby when the plungeris reciprocated vertically it will be rotated, so that the pounders willengage different portions of the lclothes at each stroke.

The rear end of the horizontal bar 6 is bifurcated and is pivoted to aprojecting portion or arm 18 at the rear side of the receptacle 2, andits front end is detachably secured between a pair of perforated ears 19by a removable pin 20, which passes through the perforations of the earsand extends across The horizontal bar 6 is adapted to be swung backwardto remove the washing mechanism from the receptacle 2.

The clothespounders,which are qonicahare constructed of sheet metal, asshown, and in order to enable them to be firmly secured to the head ofthe plunger each pounder is provided with a strengthening deviceconsisting of an inverted cup-shaped casting 2l of truncated conicalshape, and this metal supporting device is soldered or otherwise securedwithin the pounder and is provided with a central perforation in itshorizontal top portion to receive a fastening device. The pounders atthe ends of the crossed bars of the head of the plunger are bolted tothe lower faces of the said bars, and the central pounder is providedwith an opening of sufficient size to receive the plunger rod or stem,which has its IOO lower end enlarged at 23 and provided with a head 24:to support the central pounder, and the enlarged portion is threaded at25 to receive a nut 2G, which engages the head of the plunger.

It Will be apparent that the Washing-machine is simple and comparativelyinexpensive in construction, that it possesses great strength anddurability, and that it is capable of uniformly operating on clothes asthe plunger is partially rotated at each stroke of the machine to carrythe pounders to different portions of the receptacle or body 2. Theswivel-joint formed by the ratchet-Wheel and the shank forms a strongconnection between the lever and the plunger, and the parts may bereadily separated and assembled. Also the tapering or truncated conicalsupports of the pounders form a strong top for the same and lenable themto be securely fastened to the head of the plunger.

Changes yin the form, proportion, size, and the minor details ofconstruction within the scope of the appended claims may be resorted toWithout departing from the spirit or sacricing any of the advantages ofthis invention.

What is claimed is- Y l. In a Washing-machine, the combination ofavertically-m ovable rotary plunger, a hori- `zon tal ratchet-Wheelhaving a vertical hub or sleeve extendingabove and below theratchetwheel and provided at its upper end with an interior shoulder,said hub or sleeve receiving the plunger Within its lower portion, anoperating-lever having a pivot, a shank connected to the lever by thepivot, said shank having its lower portion arranged Within the hub orsleeve and provided with a shoulder or head fitting against the interiorshoulder of the said hub or sleeve, and a paWl mounted on the lever andengaging the ratchet- Wheel, substantially as described.

2. A Washing-machine comprising a receptacle provided at one side withan arm and having perforated ears at the opposite side, a horizontal barhaving one end bifurcated and pivoted to the said arm, its other endbeing arranged between the said ears, alfastenng device detachablysecuring the bar between the ears, a vertical bar or support pivoted atits lower end in the bifurcation of the horizontal bar, avertically-movable plunger guided on the horizontal bar, a leverfulcrumedon the support and connected with the plunger, and means forrotating the plunger, substantiall y as described. In testimonyT that Iclaim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixed my signature in thepresence of two Witnesses.

JACOB W. THOMAS.

Witnesses:

FRED B. SILsBEE, FRANK B. GALE.

